Movable game board

ABSTRACT

An improved game board in which the playing field is similar to that of a checker or chess board with diagonal arrangement of light and dark spaces which may consist either of squares, rectangles, circles or any other shape upon which playing pieces can be moved during the progress of the game; the improved game board consisting of strips on each of which one row of spaces is imprinted, the strips being movable in either end direction so that all the playing pieces on the particular row are thus all shifted respective to the remainder of the playing field, so to make the game more challenging and interesting by a suddenly new created circumstances between the game playing pieces. Each strip is formed from an endless belt with the row of spaces printed on the outside thereof. The belt is rotatable about a pair of spaced apart rollers supported on shafs within a housing. The top wall of the housing has a pair of slots through which the belt passes so that a portion of the belt rests upon an upper surface of the top wall while the remainder of the belt is with the housing.

United States Patent 1191 Sander 1 [111 3,804,418 [451 Apr. 16, 1974 MOVABLE GAME BOARD [22] Filed: June 15, 1972 [21] Appl. No.: 263,220

52 US. Cl. 273/136 R, 273/136 GA 51 rm. (:1. A63f 3/02 58 Field of Search 273/131, 134 R, 134 A, 273/134 GA, 136, 155; 40/86 R [56] References Cited UNITED STATES PATENTS 3,163,425 12/1964 Caplan 273/136 GB 557,646 ,4/1896 Booth 273/134 A 1,532,069 3/1925 Ortiz et a1. 273/136 GA 2,300,330 7/1957 Pickard 273/136 GA X 1,246,860 11/1917 Brachtl et a1. 40/86 R 2,167,518 7/1939 Lins 40/86 R 3,310,896 3/1967 Ruffner 40/86 R X Primary Examiner-Anton O. Oechsle Assistant Examiner-R. T. Stouffer Attorney, Agent, or Firm-Carl Miller [57] ABSTRACT An improved game board in which the playing field is similar to that of a checker or chess board with diagonal arrangement of light and dark spaces which may consist either of squares, rectangles, circles or any other shape upon which playing pieces can be moved during the progress of the game; the improved game board consisting of strips on each of which one row of spaces is imprinted, the strips being movable in either end direction so that all the playing pieces on the particular row are thus all shifted respective to the remainder of the playing field, so to make the game more challenging and interesting by a suddenly new I created circumstances between the game playing pieces. Each strip is formed from an endless belt with the row of spaces printed on the outside thereof. The belt is rotatable about a pair of spaced apart rollers supported on shafs within a housing. The top wall of the housing has a pair of slots through which the belt passes so that a portion of the belt rests upon an upper surface of the top wall while the remainder of the belt is with the housing.

1 Claim, 5 Drawing Figures MOVABLE GAME BOARD This invention relates to game boards.

A principle object of the present invention is to provide a gameboard in which the playing field is adjustable during a progress of a game so to create new situations between theplaying pieces thus making the game i more exciting and interesting.

Another ojbect is to provide a game board in which the playing field is made up on several long strips of material, which are positioned with longitudinal side edges adjacent each other, and wherein any strips can be shifted toward either end direction so that all the playing pieces on the particular strip are thus repositioned respective to the other playing pieces or the rest of the playing field. I

Another object is to provide a game board in which each strip comprises an endless belt movable around two spaced apart rollers that are easily and conveniently rotated by a knurled wheel so to effortlessly shift the strip.

Other objects are to provide a game board which is simple in design, inexpensive to manufacture, rugged in construction, easy to use and efficient in operation.

Further objects of the invention will appear as the description proceeds.

To the accomplishment of the above and related objects, my invention may be embodied in the form illustrated in the accompanying drawings, attention being called to the fact, however, that the drawings are illustrative only, and that changes may be made in the specific construction illustrated and described within the scope of the appended claims.

FIG. 1 is a top view of the Invention.

FIG. 2 is a sideview thereof.

FIG. 3 is a cross section on line 3-3 of FIG. 2 shown enlarged.

FIG. 4 is a cross section on line 4-4of FIG. 1.

FIG. 5 shows a modified form of the Invention.

Referring now to the drawing in detail, and more particularly to FIGS. 1 through 4 at this time, the reference numeral represents a Movable Game Board according to the present invention, wherein there is a case 11 of low box-like shape and which includes a top wall 12 having slits 13 near opposite side end areas thereof and through which a series endless strips or belts 14 are passed so that they emerge from an interior 15 of the case and cross the center of the top wall so that together they form a playing field 16. In the form of the invention illustrated in the drawing, the playing field is of square shape and is designed to comprise a chess or checkerboard in which alternate red and black square spaces 17 are formed to resemble a conventional checker board and upon which accordingly chess or checker playing pieces can be played by moving from spaces to spaces.

Each one of the endless belts 14 comprises a flat band of flexible material, such as thin plastic, paper or the like, the opposite ends of which are enjoined, and which upon its outer side has imprinted thereupon the diagram of an endless row of the alternately red and black spaces 17. At any one time only eight of the spaces 17 extend between slits 13, as shown in FIG. 1, which the others are hidden within the interior l5-of the case. Thus the area between the slits forms a window for seeing certain eight spaces of each of the belts which are positioned alongside each other, side edge to side edge.

A pair of brackets 18 secured to the inner side of each side wall 19 of the case support a shaft 20 upon which eight rollers 21 are mounted rotatably free. Each roller includes a portion that forms a cylindrical drum 22 around which the belt is fitted, and an enlarged thin wheel 23 at one end of the drum. Each drum has a circle of projections 24 near each end, the projections being engagable with perforations 25 along opposite side edges of each belt. Thus rotation of the roller is certain to cause the belt to travel therearound and move across the top of the case. Each wheel is made as thin as practically possible so that a space 26 formed thus between the belt side edges 27 is kept at minimum so to not spoil the visual effect of the checkerboard design. Each wheel is of a sufficiently large enough diameter so that it protrudes above a top surface of the case top wall 12 wherein a slot 28 accordingly is provided. The edge of the wheel has a knurl 29 so it can be readily frictionally engaged by a persons finger so to be rotated.

In use, playing pieces are placed upon the exposed spaces that form the playing field in the window, so a game can be played. The center part of the case top wall serves as a stiff support for the playing field and the pieces placed thereupon. In playing the game by turning a wheel, any belt can be moved toward either direction so to relocate the positions of the playing pieces thereupon respective to the playing pieces on the rest of the playing field.

The present construction can of course be modified while still remaining in the realm of the invention, such as in the example illustrated in FIG. 5 wherein, instead of the belts above described, strips 30 of flexible material can be coiled or uncoiled from either end from within the interior or a hollow drum 31. Instead of square spaces, the spaces may be round, oval, rectangular, irregular, triangular or the like. The number of strips or belts can be more or less so instead of a square playing field, it may be rectangular or other shape such as rhomboidal or otherwise. Alternately instead of a case, the game board can comprise only a flat panel with the endless belts being passed around the underside and moved manually without the benefit of the rollers, the belts passing either through slits 13 or else around the side edge of the panel that may or not be grooved so to retain them in proper position.

While certain novel features of my invention have been shown and described and are pointed out in the annexed claims, it will be understood that various omissions, substitutions and changes in the forms and details of the device illustrated and in its operation can be made by those skilled in the art without departing from the spirit of the invention.

Having thus described my Invention, what I desire to secure by Letters Patent is:

1. In a movable game board the combination of a game board panel having a playing field thereupon, and means whereby portions of said playing field are movable respective to the remainder thereof so that playing piece upon moved portions are re-positioned automatically respective to playing pieces on a remainder of the playing field, said means comprising said playing field being comprised of a plurality of narrow flat members positioned edge to edge adjacent each other, each member being independently movable toward either end direction, each said member being imprinted with a row of playing spaces along the entire length thereof,

side of said top wall while the remainder of said belt is within said housing, said rollers being positioned further apart than said slots so that a portion of said belt that is between a slot and a roller is relatively horizontal, and said housing top wall above said relatively horizontal portion is slightly upwardly inclined so to clear said relatively horizontal portion. 

1. In a movable game board the combination of a game board panel having a playing field thereupon, and means whereby portions of said playiNg field are movable respective to the remainder thereof so that playing piece upon moved portions are repositioned automatically respective to playing pieces on a remainder of the playing field, said means comprising said playing field being comprised of a plurality of narrow flat members positioned edge to edge adjacent each other, each member being independently movable toward either end direction, each said member being imprinted with a row of playing spaces along the entire length thereof, each said member being longer than said playing field so that certain of said spaces on said member can be aligned selectively with the remainder of said playing field, said member comprising an endless belt with said playing spaces indicated on its outer side, said belt being rotatable about a pair of spaced apart rollers supported on shafts within a housing, a top wall of said housing having a pair of slots through which said belt is passed so a portion of said belt rests upon an upper side of said top wall while the remainder of said belt is within said housing, said rollers being positioned further apart than said slots so that a portion of said belt that is between a slot and a roller is relatively horizontal, and said housing top wall above said relatively horizontal portion is slightly upwardly inclined so to clear said relatively horizontal portion. 